The overall objective is to foster networking and exchange of knowledge and coordination amongst the experts of the many different disciplines that have a bearing on plastic pollution. The need for complex integrated monitoring and for prioritizing actions for combatting plastic pollution, make it clear that an interdisciplinary and cross-border approach is required for improving environmental assessments, source identification and solution development to tackle the problem. Additionally the network could support the work on marine litter and microplastics that the Arctic Council working groups for the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) are pursuing.
Thematic Network on Arctic Plastic Pollution
Goals
Activities
- 2 meetings of the Thematic Network per year
- Launch and pilots of an online learning platform for Deep Dive Beach Litter Analysis in the Arctic
- Compendium of circum-polar research on marine litter
- Map engagement and relevant outputs by UArctic members
- Developing synergies with other groups to organise further events (or side-events to bigger events) and workshops on this topic (or certain detailed aspects)
- Identification of funding sources for joint research proposals
- Development of specialized university courses
- UArctic summer school on Plastic in the marine Arctic – from sources to solutions in August 1-5, 2022; we are looking for opportunities to complete a new Summer School in 2024.
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Other Information
More information and past activities can be found here.
Video interview: Anna Sinisalo, former Lead of the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Plastic Pollution
Thematic Network cross-links: UArctic Thematic Network on Ocean Food Systems